Push button directory



Dec. 9, 1958 MA 2,863,237

PUSH BUTTON DIRECTORY Filed June 27, 1957 F/CL/ MEREO/ 7' H MAT THE W5 arm HIS ATTQPNIH S United States Patent 2,863,237 PUSH BUTTON DIRECTORY Meredith Matthews, San Jose, Calif. Application June 27, 1957, Serial No. 668,513 -2 Claims. (Cl. 40-77) This invention relates to directories and more particularly to a multi-faced rotary type directory for continuously presenting information to a sight opening. The invention further contemplates the provision of means for optionally stopping the continuously turning directory at selected positions for viewing a particular information bearing face through the sight opening.

The present invention was conceived with a view of providing information at strategic locations in supermarkets, stores and the like where a minimum of personnel is engaged. Present day supermarkets spread over large areas and have aminimum number of employees on duty. Most of these employees are attendants at check stands or counters where the consumers purchases are checked out on cash registers. A few of the employees are kept busy working stock and replenishing bins and shelves.

In these larger markets the customer is on his own and very often must cover a great distance when looking for specific items on his shopping list. Very often the customer ultimately must ask an employee for directions to a shelf bearing the desired item. Often the employee has to guide the customer to the specific shelf in ques tion or must pick up the item wanted and bring it to the check stand where the customer is holding up the line awaiting for the item wanted.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that much of the employees time is lost serving customers in What is intended to be a self-service market. The present invention seeks to alleviate this unnecessary pre-occupation of stock clerks and other store employees.

It is contemplatedthat directories of the type herein described be placed at convenient locations in and about these larger area supermarkets so that the customers need only refer to the nearest directory in order to find out where the specific item wanted is to be found. Most supermarkets are laid out with island or gondola type shelves and bins arranged in orderly fashion so as to provide isles or passage ways between the islands. Each island is numbered, a card bearing the number thereof being conspicuously displayed above the islands so that it may be seen from different parts of the store;

Several directories such as the one herein described are located in and about the store. .Each such directory is identical in construction and operation and each has a complete directory of items in the store followed by the number of the area, isle or gondola type shelf where the items may be found.

The directory of the present invention contemplates the provision of a multi-faced rotor bearing lists of items or general merchandise and corresponding locational numbers whereby a customer can himself locate the items wanted.

Another object is to provide a continuously turning card bearing rotor disposed to display one card at a time to a sight opening for viewing.

Another object is to provide a multi-faced continuously turning drum having a partial directory on each face thereof with means for manually stopping the turning of such drum at the option of the customer.

Another object is to provide in a sight opening housing having a standard offset diametrically opposite its sight opening for supporting a light source concentrically of said housing, a motor bracket supported on the upper end of said standard to provide an axial bearing in conjunction with a motor drive shaft for drivingly receiving and supporting a diametric arm on the upper end of a drumlike rotor for suspending its translucent sign facades between said sight opening and said light source.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description and claims in the light of the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the directory embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through Fig. 2 taken along line 3-3 thereof.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a card bearing frame or drum embodied in the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a section through one face of the frame or drum of Fig. 4.

Fig.6 is a schematic diagram of an electrical circuit embodied in the directory of Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Referring to the drawings 10 indicates a directory comprising a closure or cabinet 11 mounted on a base 12 so as to shield and house a rotor 13 as well as other operating components later to be explained. The base 12 extends beyond the cabinet 11 sufficiently to support a switch unit 14 in front of a sight opening 15 formed in the cabinet 11.

In the present disclosure the rotor 13 (Figs. 2 and 4) is a drum-like frame having upper and lower bands 16 and 17 of octagonal shape joined by corner struts 18 which unite the upper and lower bands into a common drumlike unit. These corner struts 18 together with the straight sides 16 and 17 of the respective upper and lower bands 16 and 17 serve to provide a frame for individual printed cards C upon which information data is printed. The straight sides 16 and 17' of each upper and lower band is provided with an inturned head 20 and 21 respectively for receiving the adjacent edge of a card C. In addition to the foregoing a bowed spring steel strap is adapted to be engaged between these inturned beads to press the side edges E of each card firmly against the strut 18 adjacent which it lies so that the card C is maintained fiat against th inner facade of the rectangular frame formed thereby. The cards C are preferably translucent to give a light background upon which opaque letters are printed to givie clear visibility and ease of reading to the customer.

A standard or post 25 has its lower end secured to a flange 26 which is firmly secured to the base 12 somewhat offset diametrically opposite from the sight opening 15 of the cabinets body as best illustrated in Fig. 2. The upper end of this post 25 is threaded to receive a pair of nuts 27 and 28. The lower nut 27 supports two brackets 29 and 30, one 29 for a light bulb 31 and the other for a motor M. The upper nut 28 is secured down upon the tops of the brackets 29 and 30 to hold them fast upon the post 25. The brackets 29 and 30 traverse the vertical axial center of the housing or cabinet 11 to dispose the light bulb 31 centrally thereof.

The motor M is a simple synchronous 60 cycle clock motor having a gear reduction box secured to the bracket 30 and a drive shaft or stud 32 extending upwardly through the bracket substantially concentric to the vertical axis of the cabinet 12. A thrust bearing 33 circumscribing the stud 32 is supported on the bracket 30 to hold a diametric arm 35 of the rotor 13 in spaced rela- Patented Dec. 9, s

supported 'on: thethrust. bearing 33in keyed' relation -to thetstud shaft 32for turning therewith dur-ing operation of the motor M.

The motor M is inan electrical circuit E provided with a suitable .plugP for receiving current from any conventional 110 volt receptacle in the usual manners Thecircuit E has oneconductor 37 extending-fromthe plu'g P directly connected to one binding post of the motor M. This conductor 37 may,"if desired, be provided with a fuse F as asafety measure. Theotherconductor 38of circuit E has the switch unit 14* interposed'therein be; tween the motor M. and the plug P. This'switch unit 14 is a normally closed micro switch 40sothat;upon .connection of the plug P with a live'receptacle the circuit E is completed to operate the motor M. Thus it will be seen that the rotor 13 is constantly turned by reason of its keyed'connection to the drive'stud 32-of the motor M.

Means 43 for manuallyor optionally stopping turning of the rotor is provided. Thismeans 43 consists of the micro switch and a treadle and push button 45-46. The micro switch 40 is suitably enclosed in a housing 47 which is insulated so as to safeguard the customers against electric shock. The treadle 45' is hingedly mounted as at 48on the back corner of the housing 47 so as to overlie the same. An insulated-pin 49 secured to the treadle 45. extends through an opening 50 in the housing 47 and rests upon one flexible arm 51 f the micro switch 40. This fleXibIearm-SI is normally biased upwardly so that its contact point engages the contact point -of a fixed arm 52of the switch-4t). The treadle-45 carries 'a push button or pad 46 at its free-'end-adapted 'to be rnan-- ually pressed downwardly to force the insulated pin 49 down upon flexible arm 51 and thus bend it away from electrical connnection with the stationary or fixed arm 52 of the switch 40. In this manner the electrical circuit E is broken causing the motor M to cease operating.

The cards C on the several faces of the octagonal drum 13 are successively presented to the sight opening 15 'on the front face of the cabinet 11. This sight opening 15 is covered with a transparent panel, preferably a glass panel 55 suitably secured to the cabinet body to the rear of the sight opening 15.

Now then as the rotor 13 turns the informational data on each card C it is presented to the sight opening 15. The light bulb 31 is constantly illuminated so as to light up the card C for clear visibility through the sight opening15. The customer can stop the rotor at will so as to enable him to read the card and find thereon the location (island or shelf number) of the item he wishes to purchase. As soon as the push button 46 is released the flexible arm 51 again bends toward the fixed arm 52 to re-establish the flow of current to the motor M.

While I have described my improved directory in specific detailit will be appreciated that it may be susceptible to variations, alterations, and/or modifications without departing from the spirit of my invention. I, therefore, desire to avail myself of all variations, alterations, and/ or modifications as fairly come within the purview of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desireto protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a supermarket'directory ofthe type including a housing mounted on a base and having. a light source concentrically thereof and a sight opening through which one face of a-drum-like multi-faeedtranslucent signbearing rotor is visible; a vertical standard-extending upwardly from said base within said housing and offset relative to center of said housing diametrically opposite the sight opening therein to by-pass the light source therein, a bracket secured to the upper end of said standard traverse ingthe vertical axis of said' housing, amotot' secured to the-underside of said bracket and having a'drive' sh'aft'f extendingupwardly thereth'rough concentric to the verticalf.

axis of said housin'g; a-multi-sided drum-like frame bearing-translucent signs on its several faces for presentation to the sight-opening in said housing in succession, said. frame having a diam'etric' arm onits upper end drivinglyr connected to the drive-shaft of said-motor and'having: bearing support onsa-id bracketfor-suspending the drum'- like-frame for rotation concentrically withinsaid 'hous-" ing.

2. ha supermarket directoryof the type including a;

housing mounted -on-a base 'and having a light sourcev concentricallythereof and a sight-opening through which one face of a drum-like 'multi-faced'translucent sign bearing rotor is visible; a vertical-- standard extending up wardly from said base within said housing and oifsetrela tive to center of said hOusing diametrically opposite the sight opening -'therein to by-pass, the light source therein, a bracket secured to-the upper end of said standard trav-j e'rsing the-vertical axis of said housing,-a'motor secured to the underside of said bracket and having a drive shaft extending upwardly therethrough concentric to the ver-" tical axis of said housing, a multi-sided' drum-like'frame bearing translucent signs on its several faces for presentation to the sight opening in said housing'in succession,

said frame having a diametric arm on its upper end'having a square opening centrally thereof, said drive shaft being square in cross'section for reception in the square opening in said diametric arm for drivingly connecting the latter to said drive shaft, and a thrust bearing on said bracket circumscribing said drive shaft for supporting said diametric arm thereon and for suspending said multisided drum-like frame around the light source centrally of said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,637,988 Egan Aug. 2, 1927 2,364,786 Hall Dee-12, 1944 2,518,633 Perry, Aug. 15, 1950 2,600,157 Chrastine' June. 10, 19521 

